Electric ceiling-fixture.



H. C. ADAM.

ELECTRIC CEILING FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY IG. IsI.

1,291,701 Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY C. ADAM, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC CEILING-FIXTURE.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. ADAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at S't. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric Ceiling-Fixtures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to electric ceiling fixtures of the type that comprise a top reflector arranged above a lighting unit and an inverted bowl or diffusing shield arranged under the lighting unit. l

One object of my present invention is to provide a supporting means for the top reflector and the lamp socket or electrical receptacle of a fixture of the general type referred to; that can be manufactured cheaply and installed easily and which is of such design that it can be connected to a ceiling outlet box without liability of causing the outlet box to become unduly heated by the heat that radiates from the receptacle that carries the lighting unit.

Another object is to provide a top reflector supporting device for ceiling fixtures which is so constructed that it will hold the top reflector level or in a horizontal position, parallel to the ceiling, even when said device is connected to an outletbox that 'is canted shaped member that forms part of the means for supporting the top reflector and the lamp receptacle.

Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof one of the clips used to connect the top reflector to the means that carries same; and

Fig. llfis a perspective view illustrating a slightly different form of clip. A

Referring to the drawings which. illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the top reflector of the fixture,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application filed May 16, 1918. Serial No. 235,035.

which may be of any preferred design, and B designates the inverted bowl or diffusing shield that is arranged under the lighting unit C of the fixture, said lighting unit consistingw of an electric lamp or light bulb that is supported in a socket or electrical receptacle I). The top reflector A and the lamp receptacle D are mounted ona supporting means of novel construction, and the bowl or diffusing shield B is connected directly to the top reflector by any suitable means, preferably hooks 1 on the bowl that coperate with links 2 which pass through eye bolts 3 that are mounted in the top reflector, as shown in Fig. 1.

The means above referred to that carries the lamp receptacle and the top reflector comprises a ring-shaped member E formed of sheet metal and so constructed that it is spaced some distance below the outlet box or supporting structure that sustains the fixture, and depending reflector supports F composed of metal straps secured at their upper ends to the ring-shaped member E by means of fastening devices 4. The ringshaped member E is of greater diameter than the longest dimension of the outlet box and is provided at its upper end with a laterally-projecting flange 5 so that when the fixture is connected to a ceiling outlet box the iaiige 5 on said member will bear against the ceiling at a point some distance beyond the outlet box. Said member E is provided at its lower end with an inwardlyprojecting flange 6, and said flange 6 is equipped with two pairs of oppositely-disposed ears 7 and 8. The ears 7 are provided with holes 7 up through which screws 7b can be inserted so as to connect the member E to the outlet boxV and the ears 8 are provided with openings 8a for receiving fastening devices 8b that secure the lamp receptacle D to the member E. In order that the member E may be easily attached to a ceiling that is not equipped with an outlet box or attached to any other suitable form of supporting structure, I have provided the laterally-projecting flange 5 at the upper end of the member E with holes 51 through which fastening devices can be inserted.

In the preferred form of my invention, as herein shown, the reiiector supports F are connected to the ring-shaped member E in such a manner that they can be adjusted vertically so as to insure the upper edge of the top reiiector A bearing snugly against that said top reflector can be easily and quickly applied to or removed from said supports.

To this end'I have provided the reflector supports F with laterally-projecting ears 9 that carry screws 10 whose heads 10 project downwardly through holes 11 in the top reflector, which holes 11 are large enough tov enable the top reflector to be slipped upwardly over the heads of the screws 10. After --the top reflector has been moved up'- wardly into engagement with the ears 9 on the lower ends of the reflector supports F, said top reflector is locked in adjusted position Vby means of small clips G that are slipped 'over the shanks of the screws 10 betweenthe heads on said screws and the under side of the top reflector. rIhe clips G preferably consist of sheet metal stampings of'substantially U shape or fiber washers cut at one point, that can be slipped horizontally over the screws 10 and then given a quarter turn so as to cause the closed end of each clip to beY positioned between its coperating screw and a shoulder 12 on the top reflector, the diameter of the clips Gbeing enough greater than the diameter of the holes 11 to eliminate the possibility of the heads on the screws passing through the holes-11 in the top reflector when the clips Gr are arranged in operative position.

In installing the fixture the screws 10 are loosened sufficiently to permit the clips G to be arranged between the heads on same and the under side of the reflector A, and thereafter said screws are tightened so as to clamp the top reflector A securely against the laterally-projecting ears 9 at the lower ends of the reflector supports F. If des'iredthe upper ends of the screws 10 can be upset, asindicated by the reference character 10b in Fig. 1,' so as to eliminate the possibility of' a careless workman loosening said screws sufficiently to cause them to drop out of the ears 9on the reflector supports in which they are adjustablymounted. I

have found that a flat sheet metal clip G of the form shown in Fig. 3 is perfectly Satisfactory'for locking the top reflector in operative position on the devices 10 on the .j `reflector supports that project downwardly through the holes in the top reflector, for 'when clips of this form are given a quarter turn so as to arrange the closed ends of same between the shoulder 12 and the top reflector and the shanks of the devices on which the clips are mounted it will be practically impossible for said clips to become displaced.

VIf desired, however, clips G of the form shown in Fig. 4l can be used, said clips G" being of the same general form as the clips G, but provided on their under sides with recesses for receiving the heads 102L of the.

screws 10 on the reflectorsupports.'

A supporting means of the construction above described can be cheaply, owing to the fact that it is composed of small sheet metal pieces that can be cut and pressed into shape by means of dies; it can be assembled quickly and installed easily and it enables the top reflector of the:

fixture tobe easily applied to or removed from the supporting structure that carries same. While it is not limited to use with aceiling outlet box, it is particularly adapte-Yl ed for use on ceiling outlet boxes, owing to the factthat the ring-shaped member E is of such design that it will be positioned parv allel tothe ceiling and will bear snugly against the ceiling, even when said memberabove pointed out, my improved supporting means is so constructed that it can be mountf ed on a ceiling outlet box without liability of causing the outlet box to become unduly heated when the fixture is in service. other words, the ring-shaped member E is spaced far enough below the outlet box'tol manufactured In l105 prevent the heat from the receptacle DV from being transmitted to the outlet box through the member E, as would occur if the part that carriesv the lamp socket were directly connected to the outlet box.

Having thus described my invention, what" I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pats 1. An electric lighting fixture, comprising a top reflector, a supporting means for said reflector consisting of a sheet metal ring arranged parallel to the yceiling with its side wall disposed at right angles to the ceiling, a laterally-projecting flange at the upper edge of said ring that bears against the ceiling, depending reflector supports detachably connected to the vertical side wall of said ring by fastening devices, and Vhori-V zontally-disposed ears 'projecting inwardly from the lower edge of said ring for sustaining an electrical receptacle.

2. A supporting means for the ypurpose described, comprising a substantially annular shaped member formed of sheet metal and provided at its upper end with a horizontally-disposed, laterally-projecting ceiling flange and at its lower end with pairs of oppositely-disposed, inwardly-projecting ears, and depending reflector supports on said member formed from strips of metal that are detachably connected to said member by fastening devices.

3. A lighting xture, comprising a top reflector provided with holes or openings, a supporting structure provided with devices that project downwardly through said openings, heads or abutments on the lower ends of said devices, and removable retaining clips arranged on said devices between the under side of the reflector and the heads or abutments on said devices.

4. A lighting fixture, comprising a top relector provided with holes or openings, a supporting structure, adjustable devices on said supporting structure provided at their lower ends with heads that project downwardly through the holes in said reflector, and removable clips mounted on said devices between the heads thereon and the under side of said top reflector for sustaining said reflector, said clips being substantially U- shaped in general outline so that they can be arranged in operative position or removed without disconnecting said devices from said supporting structure.

5. A lighting fixture, comprising a top reflector provided with holes, a supporting' structure, depending devices on said supporting structure provided at their lower ends with heads of small enough diameter to pass through the holes in said top relector, and substantially U-shaped clips arranged between the under side of the reflector and the heads on said devices for sustaining the top reflector in operative position.

6. An electric ceiling fixture, comprising a top reflector, a supporting structure comprising vertically-adjustable reflector supports, members on said supports provided at their lower ends with heads that project downwardly through holes in said top reflector, and substantially U-shaped clips arranged on said members between the heads thereon and the under side of the top reflector for sustaining said top reflector in operative position.

7. In a ceiling fixture, the combination of an outlet box arranged in a ceiling, a top reflector, a substantially ring-shaped supporting member. of greater diameter than the outlet box set edge-wise to the ceiling and arranged so that the upper portion of same bears against the ceiling at a point beyond or outside of the outlet box, an integral lamp socket supporting portion on the lower end of said member positioned far enough below the outlet box to provide an open space between the outlet box and the top side of said portion, a lamp socket connected to said portion, means for suspending said member from the outlet box without having any portion of said member engage said outlet box, and depending reflector supports on said member to which the reflector is detachably connected.

HARRY C. ADAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

